Best known for, yes, the Ewoks, Jabba the Hutt, Princess Leia’s slave girl get-up and [SPOILER ALERT!] the death(?) of Darth Vader, Return has always been for many a not completely satisfying wrap up to the blockbuster trilogy.

What are your thoughts? Did Return of the Jedi get a bum rap? Is it an underrated masterpiece? And that the Teddy Ruxpins, er, Ewoks deserve better than to be called the ruination of the whole film? Or do you believe it stands in the long shadow of series high point,The Empire Strikes Back?

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In the novelization, the Ewoks, have to be persuaded to join the Rebel forces. They finally do it because Princess Leia convinces them their lovely forest home is in danger because of the evil Empire’s plans. It just adds so much to the tale and the interaction between the characters we already knew and these new ones, who are otherwise onscreen somewhat trite comic furballs.

The Ewoks also give a lighter side to this film that was lacking in Star Wars V: Empire Strikes Back. Fans complained that movie was too dark and brooding (not unlike the complaints for Star Wars III: The Clone Wars), and the Ewoks are clearly the answer for that issue for this movie.

Darth Vadar died. That’s no spoiler to a fan. Luke can see him clearly at the end, after Annakin (his real name) re-embraced the good side of the force, with Obi Wan and Yoda, happy together in whatever Jedi version of afterlife they get. We can see this comforts Luke, who was the only one we can see upset at his death, the death of the father he never really knew.

The film makers knew fans needed closure on Luke’s parentage, the success/failure of the Rebels, the Han/Leia romance and the comment by Yoda (in said Jedi afterlife) at the end of Star Wars V: Empire Strikes Back of “there is another”. This movie is that closure, all in one package. If it gets a little messy and trite at times, well, at least the questions got answered, and fans could go home happy with that. As for releasing it on the same day as the original, what better day to give closure??

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